Sanders rides the subway in support of de Blasio's millionaires tax plan

Sen. Bernie Sanders arrived at Penn Station Monday to announce his support for Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan to tax the city's wealthiest as a means to raise money for badly needed subway repairs.

The mayor, just a week away from an almost certain reelection, appeared with Sanders amid an ongoing fight with Gov. Andrew Cuomo over how best to fund the repairs. Cuomo, who controls the MTA, has vaguely supported the idea of congestion pricing, a scheme that would likely toll more drivers coming into Manhattan. De Blasio says congestion pricing is a "regressive tax" and instead wants to raise taxes on the city's highest earners, using a so-called millionaires tax to help fund the subway repairs.

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Sanders and de Blasio made their way through the station and headed toward the A train, considered one of the worst in the city, as passersby shouted "Love you Bernie!" and "I voted for you Bernie," along the way.

The two shared a ride similar to what most New Yorkers have experienced lately: It was crowded and the train was delayed. The mayor, the senator and their respective entourages squeezed into the cramped train car, made small talk with passengers, posed for pictures and reminisced about the days when tokens were still used to pay for train rides.

"Welcome to the A train, Bernie," one passenger said.

"See, New Yorkers are very nice!" de Blasio responded.

Seven stops later, the duo headed to the atrium of the Fulton Street station where de Blasio heaped praise on Sanders, citing the senator's presidential bid and his populist platform to say raising taxes on the rich is the most reasonable way to pay for subway repairs.

"Standing in the presence of Bernie Sanders means a lot to me because he has redefined the American debate," de Blasio said. "He said something simple — the economy is rigged against working people and it's time to take action and change that. We have to understand that a millionaires tax to fix the MTA is another way of responding to the inequality that plagues our society — no one understands it better than Sen. Bernie Sanders."

Sanders who is in town to hold a formal endorsement rally for de Blasio Monday evening returned the praise, at one point calling de Blasio "one of the great progressive leaders in the United States America."

The campaign event was de Blasio's second on Monday after he was endorsed by Sen. Chuck Schumer earlier in the day. The high-profile nods come amid the ongoing trial of labor leader Norman Seabrook, which has drawn troubling allegations from Jona Rechnitz, the federal government's star witness in the trial. He testified he was in weekly communication with the mayorand was promised favors in exchange for money — allegations the mayor has vehemently denied.

Both senators were asked about the allegations Monday but declined to comment on them specifically.

De Blasio announced his plan for a millionaires tax in August. It would involve an income tax hike on individuals making more than $500,000 and couples earning more than $1 million, and could generate $800 million in new revenue for the MTA, annually.

Despite support among members of the City Council and Democrats in Albany, the proposal has little chance of being approved. Both Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and state Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan have already signaled the Republican-controlled body will not support the proposal.

Cuomo, for his part, impaneled a congestion task force earlier this month, which is expected to come up with proposals to install a form of congestion pricing. Cuomo has embraced ‘congestion pricing,’ without defining his terms. In New York City congestion pricing is typically understood to entail tolling the now-free East River bridges. The collected revenue would go toward the subway system.

Dani Lever, a spokesperson for Cuomo, continued to pan the mayor's proposal on Monday, dismissing the event as a political stunt.

"Everyone knows the millionaires tax is politically popular and everyone also knows it is impossible to pass. So it's not a real alternative — it just sounds good — and words don't translate into the desperately needed funding stream that the MTA needs," Lever said.

Sanders who recently held an event alongside Cuomo in support of his free college tuition proposal, declined to comment on Cuomo and de Blasio's ongoing feud or whether he thinks congestion pricing is a better way of raising money for infrastructure.

"I'm not taking sides to be honest with you. I've got enough to keep me busy in Washington without getting involved in New York State politics," Sanders said.